Preventing School Shootings: A Summary of a U.S. Secret Service Safe School Initiative Report.

摘要

There is no one reason why school shootings occur, and no one type of student who becomes a shooter. This article dispels the myths and stereotypes about school shooters. Children who attack can be any age and from any ethnic group, race, or family situation. Contrary to assumptions that some of our youth just snap they dont. They plan. Most official statistics show a steady decline in the rates of school violence. Reports from the U.S. Department of Education show school to be one of the safest places for our children. However, several high-profile shootings in schools over the past decade have resulted in increased fear among students, parents, and educators. The National Institute of Justice has joined forces with the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education to assess ways to prevent school shootings. The Secret Service has a long tradition of protecting our Nations leaders by identifying, assessing, and managing persons who might pose a threat of targeted violence. Targeted violence is a term developed by the Secret Service to refer to any incident of violence where a known (or knowable) attacker selects a particular target prior to the act of violence. Because of the Secret Services expertise in the study and prevention of targeted violence, the Secretary of Education asked the agency to conduct a similar operational study of school shootings.